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jakejamesjournalism · 5 years ago

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a list: the best posse cuts in hip-hip over the last 10 years.

Highlighting some of the best group efforts in rap. To qualify, the song must have been released after July of 2009 and feature at least 4 people. There are some incredible tracks with 3 rappers that had to be omitted...

10. Slippery- Migos ft Gucci Mane

It felt right that the list of best posse cuts started with raps premier posse. Migos, the most charismatic and star powered rap group this half of the decade shows why on Slippery, with the help of a rejuvenated Gucci Mane. Like all their best tracks, Quavo immediately sets the tone with his great ear for melody and unpredictable cadence. Offset seamlessly takes it from there making hilarious brags about his girl looking like a wildebeest before going into triple time about the usual suspects: Patek Phillipe, models, full throttles, and Gucci’d up collars. Takeoff ends the song sounding possessed after Gucci gives one of the most patient and introspective verses of his life. When it comes to posse cut trap rap, Slippery has all you’ve ever wanted in abundance.

9. All the Way Up (Remix)- Fat Joe, Jay Z, Remy Ma, French Montana & Infared

I’d venture to say this song got more mainstream airplay than any other track on this list. Released late May of 2016, this siren glaring club ready banger was synonymous with the summer of 2016. The song has more than most summer hits that come and go. Show-stopping verses from both Jay Z and Remy Ma make this remix a truly memorable affair. Jay Z understood the moment, realizing the magnitude of publicly addressing Lemonade on record for the first time. He brilliantly deflects the scathing aspects of the record and brushes it off as just another example of him getting money. His homage to Prince is among the most emotionally resonant rap bars he’s conjured up in years…all the more so since Jay actually owns the Prince catalog. I would love to see Jay relegate himself to an Andre 3000 type of role going forward, especially after he cemented his legacy with the late career gem 4:44. The second half of the song belongs to Remy Ma, who makes you feel every syllable in a verse so raw and emphatic you can’t help but feel all the rage spending “7 winters and 6 summers” on vacation can build up. South Bronx legend Fat Joe’s verse gives you a laugh and French relegated to the bridge is the perfect amount of him on this radio posse cut that offers far more than most in its class.

8. Big Beast- Killer Mike, Bun B, T.I & Trouble

There isn’t a track #1 on any hip-hop record in recent memory that just set the tone for what’s to come quite like ‘Big Beast.’ “Hardcore G-Shit! Homie I don’t play around!” A call to arms that is just the beginning. Listening at the time primarily out of my love for Definitive Jux. The track, produced entirely by El-P drew me in, especially the tempo flip after Trouble’s futuristic bridge. Futuristic or not, the song is a vivid portrait of street life in Atlanta. Full of Bun B’s wise man advice “Don’t leave till your ass get grown” and T.I’s full-bodied imagery, “A record full of felonies, searching for a better me/ But choppers go off in my hood like Iraq, Cuba, Tel Aviv.” For five minutes you inhabit that ATL street corner.

Killer Mike makes it clear, in order to make it in the streets of Atlanta; one must be a Big Beast. The socially conscious rap anthem served as an unforgettable reintroduction into Killer Mike, someone I’ll admit, I always associated with as an inferior extension of Outkast and the Goodie Mob. Here Michael Render demands to be heard. A singular vision with the power to resonate in an underground rap scene that happened to be dying for his perspective. With Big Beast, the El-P and Killer Mike creative flood gates officially opened. Lucky for us.

7. Really Doe- Danny Brown ft. Kendrick Lamar, Ab-Soul & Earl Sweatshirt

Like all great posse tracks, the best verse shouldn’t be easy to agree on. The down played modest hook provided by Kendrick Lamar does a good job bridging what’s most important on the track. The verses. Every verse could be considered the best. A hilarious manic Danny Brown who is “rolling up with them vegetables.” Ab-Soul’s sixteen bars playfully bend his patent hardcore bars with socioeconomic realities, a verse that exemplifies all that’s ever made him a compelling emcee. Kendrick does his thing as per usual and Earl Sweatshirt doesn’t. In my favorite verse of the song, Earl ditches his cryptic and triple entendre tendencies for a more straight forward take a bat to your head approach. Aggressively honest and devoid of his usual wordplay techniques, Earl ponders “I’m at your house like, ‘Why you got your couch on my Chucks?’ Motherfucker.” The comic relief is there. Really Doe is lyrical labyrinth designated for the purist of rap fans. Four world class emcees each with a different flow, each on top of their game. Enjoy.

6. Move that Dope- Future ft. Pusha T, Pharrell Williams & Casino

Future’s creative 360 from emo auto-tuned heart throb to drugged up nihilist was complete here. His split from Ciara turned his heart cold and drove him into various chemical comfort zones. Chemical zones that acted as his muse, similar to Pusha T, who finds himself right at home on a track like this. He delivers some of the most expressive drug rap bars of the song, totally in tune with the general concept. Someone who is a stranger to the general concept of “moving dope” is Pharrell. Such songs aren’t usually up his alley, but Pharrell rapping on anything is usually a gift, and here is no exception. His personal alienation from dope moving proves to be totally irrelevant as he spends time in the cosmos “frequency: high, like a spaceship” and bringing to life his personal idiosyncrasies “The Gandalf hat and the weird ass clothes, that’s Commes des Garcon and the Buffalo.” Over menacing production from Mike-Will-Made-It, Future rings in his new sound and mantra with a group of A-list friends, one familiar with moving dope, the other familiar with constant reinvention. Here, Future handles the scales beautifully.

5. Zip That Chop That- Black Hippy

Revisiting ‘Zip that Chop That’ makes me once again yearn for the Black Hippy album that was always promised but never came. This overlooked early career gem was released in 2010, and provided a young white kid with his very first Kendrick Lamar exposure. Before Section.80 and Setbacks, ‘Zip That Chop That’ was all I knew. What’s amazing about Black Hippy is how easily they fall into their respected roles. Jay Rock comes on strong as the deep voice of reason, having the rest of the crews back no matter what Compton issue may erupt. Ab-Soul acts as the groups source of comic relief, while Schoolboy Q acts as the vice, the devil on the other shoulder. And then there’s a young Kendrick… his commentary on the plight of black Compton youth not yet legendary. Excelling in the tracks latter third, it takes three listens to realize Kendrick is the best rapper on the song. It’s no surprise success has came to the rap collective individually, but Zip That reminds us all some of their best material comes from them working together.

4. Oldie- Odd Future

The most influential group to any millennial ‘Left Brain’ hip hop listeners. After Bastard I wrote off Tyler as a creative but drama seeking iconoclast, I didn’t give much else released by the collective an ear. It wasn’t until Frank Ocean started to release music did I think to revisit odd future’s discography in a different light. Oldie is a song that makes me glad I revisited. Who is rapping is ultimately irrelevant, the chemistry between the worst rappers of the group and those who could be considered geniuses is uncanny. It creates a universal feeling of friendship and community that transcends skill level. This was taking putting your friends on to a whole new level. The talent lies in Tyler, Frank, and Earl, but for a long time the other members of the collective had roles inside the collective that held immense value to those who actually had talent. Tyler, Frank and Earl fed off the group, all of its flaws, for better or worse. Seeing how unwavering and passionate their belief is in their own vision, it’s clear that Odd Future was a talent incubator that ended up cultivating three of the most influential artists of the modern-day era.

3. Mercy- Kanye West, Pusha T, Big Sean & 2 Chainz

Turning the posse cut into high performance art was something Kanye spent a lot of the decade mastering. Quite frankly, from the G.O.O.D Friday roll-outs to the standout tracks on Cruel Summer to Ultralight Beam, this entire list could’ve been comprised of Kanye orchestrated posse cuts. Excluding Ultralight Beam, which I didn’t find qualifying enough to be featured on this list, Mercy is the most meticulously curated posse cut Kanye released. The lead single on a project Kanye wanted to use to emphasize the depth of his label, Mercy does exactly that. He put Pusha T and Big Sean in a position to spend the summer all over the radio, threw down a solid verse himself after an understated beat switch, all leading to the breakout performance of 2 Chainz, who’s rap career took off to stratospheric heights after his show stopping verse on Mercy. Kanye succeeded in putting all his boys on without compromising the artistry in the slightest bit. Most posse cuts will sacrifice a bit of innovation in order to focus more on the lyrics. An old school approach to keeping posse cuts and the spirit of rap as competition alive. Once again, Kanye refuses to play by those rules. Mercy is high performance art, lyrical rap, pitch-black club banger, and total team flex all in one.

2. 1 Train- Asap Rocky ft Kendrick Lamar, Joey Bada$$, Yelawolf, Danny Brown, Action Bronson & Big K.R.I.T

The sound of ‘1 Train’ actually sounds like a train ride. The production for this timeless epic rap track fits the narrative perfectly. The track provides a transient urban feeling mixed with unpredictable DJ premier like scratches and gritty lo-fi drums. It’s a beautiful canvas for hook-less rap music. It never tires, and neither do the emcees. Every rapper featured on this track has something relevant to say from Danny Brown’s hilarious “Weed a different color like a hood rat bra and panties” observation or Action Bronson “selling Susan Sarandon.” Asap’s impressive “Bag made of Goyard, cheffin’ like I’m Boyar-Dee, probably selling D in your local courtyard” line is an emphatic change of cadence. Big K.R.I.T declares himself a true artist on the songs final line and after delivering what could arguably be the tracks strongest verse, a true artist sounds like an understatement. Everyone rapping punches above their weight. The ULTIMATE posse cut.

1. Forever- Drake ft Kanye West, Lil Wayne & Eminem

Released ten years ago in August, Forever did a great job living up to its namesake. From the Lebron starring music video to Drakes hook, Forever basically predicted the future. Three weeks later on another platinum record Lil Wayne raps “We gon’ be alright if we put Drake on every hook.” That era of hip hop officially started on this track. Finding himself on a track with three legends who all decided to bring above average verses, Drake holds his own by coming up with the first of a million ubiquitous hooks. His combination of rap skill, hook making and singing proved to be a tool set big enough to hang with the greats, even when they themselves brought their A-games. It also opened the door to the possibility that Drake himself could be a great one day. Personally, I think it still remains to be seen, but the hooks are still catchy, and the numbers don’t lie.

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jakejames09 · 5 years ago

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Raps Best Posse Cuts of the last 10 Years.

10. Slippery- Migos ft Gucci Mane

9. All the Way Up (Remix)- Fat Joe, Jay Z, Remy Ma, French Montana & Infared

8. Big Beast- Killer Mike, Bun B, T.I & Trouble

7. Really Doe- Danny Brown ft. Kendrick Lamar, Ab-Soul & Earl Sweatshirt

6. Move that Dope- Future ft. Pusha T, Pharrell Williams & Casino

5. Zip That Chop That- Black Hippy

Revisiting ‘Zip that Chop That’ makes me once again yearn for the Black Hippy album that was always promised but never came. This overlooked early career gem was released in 2010, and provided a young white kid with his very first Kendrick Lamar exposure. Before Section.80 and Setbacks, ‘Zip That Chop That’ was all I knew. What’s amazing about Black Hippy is how easily they fall into their respected roles. Jay Rock comes on strong as the deep voice of reason, having the rest of the crews back no matter what Compton issue may erupt. Ab-Soul acts as the groups source of comic relief, while Schoolboy Q acts as the vice, the devil on the other shoulder. And then there’s a young Kendrick... his commentary on the plight of black Compton youth not yet legendary. Excelling in the tracks latter third, it takes three listens to realize Kendrick is the best rapper on the song. It’s no surprise success has came to the rap collective individually, but Zip That reminds us all some of their best material comes from them working together.

4. Oldie- Odd Future

3. Mercy- Kanye West, Pusha T, Big Sean & 2 Chainz

2. 1 Train- Asap Rocky ft Kendrick Lamar, Joey Bada$$, Yelawolf, Danny Brown, Action Bronson & Big K.R.I.T

1. Forever- Drake ft Kanye West, Lil Wayne & Eminem

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the-record-columns · 5 years ago

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June 12, 2019: Columns

All from a broken window…

By KEN WELBORN

Record Publisher

A good story is a lot like a good record — there’s nothing wrong with hearing it again — hence the advent of “oldies” stations.

To that end, now and then I run out of time and thoughts on a Tuesday deadline, and resurrect an old column, usually a favorite for one reason or another, and run it again. A “retread” if you will, to quote former Wilkes resident Henry Absher, a faithful Georgia reader.

Such is the case when I re-run one of my favorite pieces about the “Angel on the Third floor of Spainhour’s” in which I recounted the time I broke a window in Miss Mary Finley’s front door and the great life lesson she taught me in the following week. When I do “re-run” a piece, some make the oldies comment, and then, some who haven’t seen it before, offer brand new and often heartening comments, which I lap up like warm milk given to a puppy.

Enter the late Charles Tesh.

Charles Tesh at ChickenFest

I never knew as much about Charles as I would have liked to, but I can tell you he was a wonderful musician and a truly giving individual. In the case of his relationship with The Record, he performed for us at ChickenFest and at our Salute to Veterans event numerous times, as well as providing logistical and scheduling assistance as well.

Always cheerfully done and always ending with a smile and a “…let me know what else you need, anytime.”

Charles stopped in one day, shortly after the Miss Mary Finley column appeared, and, after catching up a bit in general, he said those words I so love to hear, “Kenny, I enjoyed your column last week,” followed by “…and it reminded me of a story from my own childhood.”

I am not sure exactly when this story took place, but it had to be a good while back. It seems as though Charles and a bunch of his childhood buddies were playing baseball on a city street in Lexington one afternoon when he took a mighty swing and fouled off the pitch. That in and of itself was not all that unusual, but this particular foul ball sailed high across the yard of one of the houses on the street and broke a second floor window.

His playmates promptly ran like scalded dogs and left Charles standing in the street with his bat in his hands and his heart in his shoes. He dutifully trudged up the steps to the front porch of the large stately home, owned by a widower named Mr. Moffit. He was a very well-to-do man who also owned a cotton mill in town, but pretty much kept to himself.

Charles rang the bell and, when Mr. Moffit answered the door, he blurted out that they were playing ball in the street and he had broken a window in his house.

“Why were you playing in the street in the first place?” he queried.

Charles told him the school ball field was locked up for the summer and they really had nowhere else to go. Mr. Moffit didn’t make a big fuss about the window, he just thanked Charles for owning up to what he had done and told him he had a couple of men at the cotton mill who could fix it, and not to worry about it.

Charles left relieved and didn’t think a whole lot about it, but he and his friends did find a different block to play baseball on.

Soon after, Charles noticed a bulldozer and crew tearing down an old abandoned house not too far from where he lived. The dozer and the crew stayed on, working on the now vacant lot. Before he knew it, a proper baseball diamond had been laid out, the outfield sown I grass and the whole shebang fenced in.

Mr. Moffit had bought the property and built a baseball field just for the neighborhood kids to have a proper and safe place to play. Charles Tesh said as long as he lived in Lexington that ball field was a favorite neighborhood gathering place.

All from a broken window.

All from being honest.

We lost Charles Tesh in December 2014. All those who knew him continue to mourn his passing and anytime his name comes up there’s always story after story about his musical abilities and his heart of gold. I for one promise to keep the memory of this wonderful man alive.

Charles R. Tesh

July 3, 1942 – December 8, 2014

Rest in Peace

The Achilles Heel of Trump’s Deal

By EARL COX

Special to The Record

Within a year after his election, President Trump announced that an Israeli-Palestinian Peace plan was being formulated. The Middle East Peace Plan was dubbed the “Deal Of The Century” for its original thought but details were not given. Such promise elicited high expectations as many saw it as a means of hope. Prime Minister Netanyahu has been reticent from the beginning.

Just as important as the proposed peace plan itself is the timing of its release. President Trump has been waiting for a time of reduced distractions to roll out his plan. While biding the time, Trump moved ahead with filling other political promises.

In February 2018, President Trump announced the U.S. would move its embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. As expected, Palestinian reaction was negative. This move prompted Abbas to declare that he will not so much as look at Trump’s proposed Deal despite the fact that Trump gave assurances, without tipping his hand, that the Palestinians will be given an equitable “good deal.” Much of the peace plan news thereafter centered on indications from Washington that both Israel and the Palestinian Authority (PA) would have to make tough decisions.

In the meantime, Trump’s advisors and officials crisscrossed the Middle East initiating new and closer relationships with Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states such as Egypt and Jordan.

However, in March 2018, President Trump signed the Taylor Force Act ending aid to the Palestinian Authority unless they stopped using the money to fund terrorists and their families. The PA refused to stop funding terrorists. They view the issue as unfair leverage against them by the U.S.

Palestinian ire was once again raised in September 2018 when it was announced the U.S. would no longer fund UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency) over what it deemed to be a flawed education program for Palestinian school children and not helpful for the advancement of peace.

As the world waited for the PA indignation to simmer down, the assassination of Jamal Khashoggi in October 2018 made headlines. The international implication of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman soured U.S.-Saudi relationships temporarily halting, once again, the release of Trump’s “Deal of the Century.”

Throughout the year, Prime Minister Netanyahu’s legal troubles for alleged corruption and bribery were going forward leading to possible indictments against him. All the while, Netanyahu wore several hats handling active rocket and arson attacks from Gaza, discovery of terror tunnels from Lebanon, military missions in Syria against Iranian threats, personal legal woes, and battling political opposition over internal affairs. In addition, his barely operable coalition was choked by debate over conscription of ultra-Orthodox Jews into national service that continues to this day.

Finally, Israel called for new elections in December 2018, but elections were not held until April 2019. Netanyahu’s Likud Party won but, for the first time in Israel’s history, a coalition for a new government failed to materialize and Israel now faces another election this coming September.

Other than a few ruffles, Europe has been strangely quiet. However, Jared Kushner, who is the president’s advisor and author of the Middle East peace plan, will soon be meeting with the EU’s Commission chief and Foreign Policy chief to discuss this plan. Clearly, there hasn’t been a suitable time to release the “Deal of the Century” peace plan, and doing so in the near future looks bleak.

In early June 2019, the U.S. Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, and President Trump were, for the first time, conceding that the “Deal of the Century” was not a slam-dunk event and that overall prospects for a favorable outcome were dimming. The protracted delay for release of the plan is proving to be the Achilles heel of the peace plan.

For Israel, nothing is lost.

Israel has been balancing the status quo with the PA for many years. Continuing its current policies will not be a significant problem above what they have been all along. By their own self-imposed recalcitrance, it appears the PA is opting for the status quo as well.

Washington is hinting that it now plans to release the peace plan in stages, starting with a summit in Bahrain later this month. Discussions will include Middle East economic boosts. Later, there will be summits on regional security issues and politics. The Palestinian Authority has publicly announced it will not be attending any of the summits that have anything to do with a peace plan. On the opposite side, the Israelis will attend every summit. They will not miss an opportunity to forge ahead in the hopes of gaining peace.

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